The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-26

he paid back 70 hluisei "h"' "'
yanced to the printer
There seems 10 be like Indebtedness
and want nj clearness In regard to the
charges against the Treasurer oil not ac'
counting for certain back taxes, Interest on
delinouent taxes, and other costs Certain
I, "a that the late Treasurer denies the JUS
,ice of the Committees conclusions, ana
,be nresent Treasurer, who had full charge
of the books during his predecessors term
but who lies now, and has for weeks iaid'
belplessly prostr ,ted on bed OF sickness
persists In his ability, AS soon as MS hea''h
IL sufficiently restored to admit OF the ex'
ertion, to give full, complete and satiStac'
,orv explanation of every alleged discrep
ancy; and until he has had this oppor'un
inv we insist that these sweeping charges
Of delinquency and peculation In the Treas
urer's Office are premature and the popu-
lar judgment In regard TO them should De
held in allegiance.
While. however the Committee, In their
excitement, may be INDUCED In the use OF
severe language in cases where they regard
the proof as clear, there Is no excuse ior
the sweeping remark that they lind mot
only I'm this (the SheriiPs Office but most
of he other Ofices, that there has been a
reckless extravaganza, total disregard Vi
the forms of Law, and various unscrupu-
lous, ingenius schemes and devices resorted
10 whereby he leach officer might enrich
himself at the expense of the taxpayer
and unfortunate sutton"
Now, there are at least seven "other OF.
fees" IN the court house Decides the three
in regard to which the committee make
report, notably those of the County Clerk,
Circuit Clerk, County Judge, Probate
Judge, Recorder, Surveyor and School
Superintendent, One Of these Offices, that
OF the County Clerk, for example, the con-
mittee have gone through and, instead OF
finding any fault with him, they actually
gave him credit for paying some w
more fees to the county than he owed IL
while they have not as yet reported syl'
liable to indicate crookedness whatever In
the others. The five "other offices" have
thus far wholly escaped their attention
vet some of them must be included In
most of the other offices" against which
the committee utter their sweeping cen
sure.
| Nor Is the committee fair In their treat
ment of the loans of 100000 and $4,000
referred to In their report. 1t may appear
the truth; but the real truth is suppressed
These sums, total of 5000, formed a
part of the sum due the First National
Bank in March, 1884, moneys advanced tC
pay building accounts. TO pay all then
due the bank would have created an EN-
barassment further on In the year. nc
provide against this, and to insure the pos
session of funds in Sept and to pay cur
rent expenses the finance committee asked
the bank to carry these $780, 900, which was
agreed TO- the notes to be renewed from
time TO time until the county could pay
without running out of money. When the
Marine and other N. Y. banks went by the
board, in 1894, Mr.. Raymond, in order tc
protect the county against u possible loss
| by bank failure, began TO reduce his
balance, and paid these notes before they
became due. When the scare was over
! lie took back to the bank, July II, 81 and
| Aug. ., "a, the uncanCelled notes and took
credit for them-renewed them, at the
times he would have renewed them had
they remained In the bank, just as the
finance committee had expected him to
do, when, In March, the arrangement for
carrying the debt was made. By this
means the treasury had money at the Sept.
1884 session TO meet bills audited, to pay
which the committee had In March thus
provided to certainty the money. The
whole transaction was strictly develop
ment of the finance committees plan, save
that, to guard against possible loss by
breaking banks, Mr.. Raymond, by at one
time paying them, had attempted to inter
pose guard against possible loss. That
these s0-caled loans" were but renewals,
fully contemplated when the arrangement
was made in March, and not original
transactions, the books of the First Nation
al Bank will show, If any one will be at
the trouble to enquire although the com
mittee have taken pains not to say so in
their report, as we think they should have
done.
THE SUPERVISORSHIP AGAIN.